Veronica Puskas
wins an award for excellence at Quilt Canada's national juried show
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Veronica
Puskas, who grew up in Nunavut's Kivalliq region, won the
award for Excellence in Work by a first-time exhibitor award
at Quilt Canada's national juried show in St. Catharines,
Ont. (Courtesy Veronica Puskas)
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A former resident of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories has
been recognized at a national quilt show.
Veronica Puskas, who grew up in Nunavut's Kivalliq region, won
the award for Excellence in Work by a first-time exhibitor award
at Quilt Canada's national juried show in St. Catharines, Ont.
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Veronica
Puskas' quilt, called 'Pillars of Strength,' is based on a
photo of her mother and grandmother at the Meliadine River
near Rankin Inlet in 1950. (Canadian Quilters' Association)
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Her quilt, called Pillars of Strength, is based on a photo of
her mother and grandmother at the Meliadine River near Rankin Inlet
in 1950.
Puskas says the quilt honours her grandmother, but making it
also helped her.
"I hope to encourage people that are going through difficult
times that through doing some artwork or doing something to make
something beautiful is very cathartic," she says. "It helps you
deal with the emotions and the hurt while doing it."
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Detail
from Pillars of Strength. (Canadian Quilters' Association)
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Puskas says she started working on the project many years ago
and then set it aside. In the end, it was truly a labour of love.
"Mom used to tell us you can do better than that and that's
all I kept hearing."
Puskas' quilt was selected out of about 80 entries in her category.
Marilyn Michelin, chair of the event, says Puskas' skill is
remarkable.
"To do people in a picture is just unbelievable," she says.
"The talent that people have for that."
Puskas now lives in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
She says she'll keep using Nunavut and the North as inspiration
for future projects.
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Nuliavuk
by Veronica Puskas was recently displayed at a local exhibit
in Ontario. (Yellowknife Quilters' Guild)
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